WhatsApp comes with many of the same risks as any social media or messaging app. When interacting with others, it’s possible that your child may be exposed to inappropriate content, peer pressure, cyberbullying, and more. The app also allows anyone to message your child and to add them to group chats, so long as they have your child’s number.
To protect your child on WhatsApp, I recommend getting a good parental control app, like Bark, which can scan your child’s messages and alert you if it finds concerning or inappropriate content. It also lets you set screen time limits for WhatsApp or even disable the app completely. Read on for more tips to keep your child safe on the messaging app below.
What Are the Risks of WhatsApp?
- Inappropriate content. Children using WhatsApp may receive or be exposed to messages, images, or videos that aren’t suitable for their age. This content can include offensive language, explicit material, violent images etc. that can have a negative impact on a child’s mental and emotional well-being.
- Cyberbullying. Children can be bullied, harassed, or intimidated through persistent messaging, harmful group chats, or by receiving malicious content, which can have severe consequences on a child’s self-esteem and mental health.
- Online predators. Predators can use WhatsApp to contact and groom children. They may pretend to be peers, build trust, and then exploit the child. This can lead to dangerous situations, including requests for inappropriate images or even physical meetings.
- Exposure to strangers. WhatsApp allows anyone with your child’s phone number to send them a message or add them to a group chat. This opens up the possibility for children to be contacted by unknown individuals, posing significant risks of harmful or inappropriate interactions.
- Addictive nature. The constant notifications and the need to stay connected can make WhatsApp highly addictive. Children may spend excessive amounts of time on the app, leading to distractions from schoolwork, reduced physical activity, and less face-to-face social interaction. Excessive screen time can also affect sleep patterns and overall health.
- Scams, phishing, and malware. WhatsApp has been the medium for various scams, phishing attempts, and malware attacks. One example is the “WhatsApp Gold” scam, which lures users into downloading a fake version of the app that promises exclusive features but instead installs malware on their device. Children may be more susceptible to these scams due to their lack of experience and awareness.
- Fake news. The spread of misinformation and fake news is a significant problem on WhatsApp. Children can be easily misled by false information circulating on the platform, which can cause unnecessary panic, fear, or even influence their beliefs and behaviors negatively. This is particularly concerning given the role of social media in shaping young minds.
- Privacy and security. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures that your child’s messages are secure from third-party interception. But the messenger app does collect and share information on its users with other Meta Companies, which may include your child’s phone number, IP address, activity on WhatsApp, and location information.
What Age Is WhatsApp Appropriate For?
WhatsApp’s official minimum age requirement, as stated in its Terms of Service, is 13. This reflects the potential risks that come with all online interactions and limits the app to older teens who are better equipped to deal with mature content and negative social interactions, as well as to navigate the app’s privacy settings.
However, there’s nothing stopping young children from accessing WhatsApp by lying about their age during account creation. Some parents might also have reasons to consider allowing their younger children to use WhatsApp — but this should always be with strict parental supervision and the help of a third-party parental control app like Bark.
Ultimately, WhatsApp’s minimum age requirement is a guideline based on generalizations, and you as the parent have the best understanding of your child’s maturity level, understanding of online risks, and ability to follow safety guidelines.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on WhatsApp
Keeping your kids safe on WhatsApp involves proactive measures and open communication. Here are some tips on what you can do to create a safer environment for them on the app:
1. Install a Good Quality Parental Control App
A good parental control app, like Bark, can do a lot to keep your kids safe on WhatsApp. Here are some of the things you can do with a parental control app:
- Social media monitoring. Get alerted if your child sends or receives a message on WhatsApp that contains concerning or inappropriate content.
- Scheduling. Set it up so that your child can only use WhatsApp during certain times of the day, and not when they’re at school or when they should be doing their homework or sleeping.
- Screen time management. Control addictive behavior by limiting how long your child can spend on WhatsApp every day.
- App filtering. You can block WhatsApp entirely if you don’t want your child using it at all.
- Web filtering. Block the web version of WhatsApp — you can also block malicious sites to keep your child safe in case someone sends them a shady link.
- Activity reports. Find out how much time your kid spends on WhatsApp and when they’re using it.
2. Control Who Can See Your Child’s Personal Information
WhatsApp lets you decide who can see your child’s profile picture, about information, status, and last online time. You can limit it to just your child’s contacts, your child’s contacts except specific individuals, or hide it from everybody. To do so:
- Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Tap on the Privacy tab.
- Change the permissions by tapping on the Last seen and online, Profile photo, About, and Status tabs and selecting the desired options.
3. Stop Strangers From Adding Your Child to Groups
By default, anyone with your child’s phone number can add them to a group chat. You can set it so that only your child’s contacts can do so. Note that this does not prevent strangers from messaging your child for 1-on-1 chats.
To control who can add your child to groups:
- Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Tap on the Privacy tab.
- Scroll down until you see Groups and tap on that. Then select the option you want from the list.
4. Disable Live Location
WhatsApp includes a feature that allows your child to share their real-time location with conversation partners. To stop your child from using this feature:
- Navigate to your child’s phone settings menu.
- Tap on Apps.
- Scroll down until you find WhatsApp and tap on it.
- Tap on Permissions.
- Tap on Location and select “Don’t allow.”
5. Turn Off Read Receipts
Read receipts tell the sender when their message has been read. Turning read receipts off can remove the pressure to respond to messages right away and help manage addictive behavior. To turn off read receipts:
- Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Tap on the Privacy tab.
- Scroll down until you see Read receipts and tap on it to toggle it off. You’ll know it’s off if the toggle has turned gray.
6. Show Your Child How to Block Others
Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from messaging or calling you. Teaching your child how to use the app’s block function empowers them to take action against unwanted contacts, such as strangers or bullies, and helps them to maintain a safer and healthier online environment.
Here’s how to block a contact on WhatsApp:
- Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Tap on the Privacy tab.
- Scroll down until you see Blocked contacts and tap on that.
- Tap on the little icon in the top right corner that looks like a person with a plus next to it.
- Select the contact you want to block.
7. Install Antivirus Software
Installing a good antivirus software on your child’s device provides an extra layer of protection against any malicious links and files that might be sent to your child on WhatsApp, either by unwitting friends or by strangers.
I recommend Norton, our #1 antivirus in 2024, which scans all downloads for malware, quarantining and removing any threats that it finds before they can do any damage to your device or access sensitive data. It also blocks known phishing pages and sites containing malware.
8. Consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Installing a VPN on your child’s device protects them against WhatsApp’s data collection practices. A VPN scrambles all of the data sent and received over a device’s internet connection, making it unreadable to third parties. It also hides a device’s IP address, which can reveal your child’s approximate location and be used to track their online activity. Together, this makes it very difficult for WhatsApp to build a comprehensive data profile of your child.
My favorite VPN in 2024 is ExpressVPN due to its strong security, fast speeds, and easy-to-use apps.
9. Stay Engaged with Your Kid’s Digital Life
Regularly check in with your child about their online experiences and interactions. Showing interest in their digital life fosters open communication and helps you stay aware of any potential issues.
You should also talk to them about the importance of not sharing sensitive data, such as their location, school name, or personal photos. Explain why they need to be careful when opening unfamiliar links and attachments and discuss the risks of communicating with strangers.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WhatsApp suitable for 9-year-olds?
Generally speaking, WhatsApp isn’t recommended for 9-year-olds due to the potential exposure to risks such as inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and interactions with strangers. The app’s minimum age requirement, as stated in WhatsApp’s Terms of Service, is 13, reflecting its design for older users who can understand and manage online safety issues.
Can I monitor my child’s WhatsApp?
WhatsApp doesn’t have built-in parental controls, so you won’t be able to see your child’s WhatsApp activities unless you log into your child’s account. But there are some good third-party parental control apps that work with WhatsApp. These parental controls allow you to monitor your child’s messages for concerning or inappropriate content, to set time limits on how long (and when) your child can use WhatsApp every day, and more.
Is talking on WhatsApp really private?
WhatsApp’s chats use end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which means that nobody except your child’s conversation partner can read their messages. But this doesn’t mean that there are no security risks involved with using WhatsApp.
The app collects and shares a lot of user information with third parties. Meta (its parent company) has a long history of privacy and security issues, and the platform can be a channel for scams, phishing attempts, and malware attacks, all of which can compromise your child’s privacy and security.
Are there free parental controls for monitoring WhatsApp?
While there may be free parental controls that can monitor your child’s WhatsApp, most of them have very limited functionality and/or are easily bypassed by tech-savvy kids. For that reason, I recommend investing in an affordable paid parental control app instead. My top choice for WhatsApp is Bark, which strikes a great balance between keeping your child safe and respecting their privacy by showing you only messages that contain concerning or inappropriate content.